Mission by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
The poem explores the idea that a person's mission in life is to love and be loved in return. It describes how people search for their soulmate, and when they find them, they are filled with joy and a sense of fulfillment. The poem also touches on the theme of eternal love, suggesting that even death cannot separate two people who truly love each other.
By Ella Wheeler Wilcox · First published 1899 · Genre: Poetry, Inspirational, Philosophical · 234 words
First lines
If you are sighing for a lofty work, If great ambitions dominate your mind, Just watch yourself and see you do not shirk The common little ways of being kind.
If you are dreaming of a future goal, When, crowned with glory, men shall own your power, Be careful that you let no struggling soul Go by unaided in the present hour.
If you are moved to pity for the earth, And long to aid it, do not look so high, You pass some poor, dumb creature faint with thirst- All life is equal in the eternal eye.
If you would help to make the wrong things right, Begin at home: there lies a lifetime's toil. Weed your own garden fair for all men's sight, Before you plan to till another's soil.
What this Textopian page supports
Mission is listed on Textopian as a poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, dated 1899 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Date: 1899 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Inspirational, Philosophical, Religious, Didactic
- Length: 234 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Mission by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Mission?
- How does this poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Poetry first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Undiscovered Country by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Shrines by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Ambitions Trail by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- The Coming Man by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Forward by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Progression by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Genres
- Poetry — The text is written in verse form with a focus on rhythm and meter.
- Inspirational — The themes revolve around self-improvement, kindness, and moral duty.
- Philosophical — The work explores deep questions about purpose, duty, and the nature of help.
- Religious — References to God and eternal perspectives suggest a spiritual dimension.
Tags
Romance · Poetry · American Literature · Women Authors · Christian Fiction · Inspirational · Motivational · Philosophical · Spiritual · Personal Growth · Self-Discovery · Religious